Featured

Motorola plunges into the red

The Motorola New York - US mobile-phone maker Motorola Inc on Thursday reported a loss of 397 million dollars for the third quarter of 2008, down from a profit of 60 million dollars in the same quarter of 2007, despite a financial restructuring plan.

Sales fell by a more-than-expected 15 per cent to 7.5 billion dollars, Motorola reported from its headquarters in Schaumburg in the US state of Illinois.

The company's handset division suffered heavy losses.

A plan to break up the company in 2009 has now been delayed.

Mothers protest, doctors strike as cuts start to bite in Latvia

Riga, LatviaRiga- Young mothers staged a protest for increased child support Thursday outside the Latvian parliament building, while doctors went on strike and the government wrestled with next year's budget.

Several dozen young mothers with an assortment of prams, pushchairs and carry-cots gathered outside the Latvian parliament holding banners saying "What can you buy for eight lats a month?" and "While MPs are full of cash, children have nothing!"

Eight lats (14 dollars) is the current monthly allowance paid to mothers of children up to the age of three.

US economy contracts 0.3-per-cent in third quarter

World EconomyWashington  - The US economy contracted by 0.3 per cent i

UN chief arrives in India during first visit to South Asia

Ban Ki-MoonNew Delhi - UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon arrived in India Thursday on his first official visit to the South Asian region that will also take him to Nepal and Bangladesh, officials said.

Ban flew to New Delhi from Manila for a two-day visit during which he is due to discuss regional and international matters with Indian leaders, including the global financial crisis.

Terrorism, the food crisis as well as efforts to push democracy in India's eastern neighbour, military-ruled Myanmar, will also figure in the discussions, UN officials said.

Calm returns to east Congo after four days of fighting

Johannesburg - South AfricaNairobi, Kinshasa - Calm has returned to the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo, a spokesman for the United Nations peacekeeping mission said Thursday after four days of fighting that saw Tutsi rebels come close to taking the city of Goma.

General Laurent Nkunda, leader of the National Congress for the Defence of the People (CNDP), Wednesday evening announced a unilateral ceasefire to "prevent panic in Goma." The CNDP had been engaged in fighting with Congolese and UN troops.

Pakistani leaders condemn Indian blasts

Islamabad, PakistanIslamabad - Pakistan's president and prime mi

Pages